fuck yeah, shojin!

i have been doing all you vegans in los angeles a disservice. i’ve been at this blog thing for over a year now, and i’ve only written about shojin once. and my review of them is 14 months old, back from a time when their prices were higher and they hadn’t yet hit their stride. well i am here to change all that, because i’ve been back for a few meals there, and i can definitely say shojin is one of the best restaurants around, and they deserve an awesome review.

one super cool thing shojin has done, is they’ve introduced an impressive vegan sushi menu. at most restaurants, vegan sushi means a few slices of avocado and cucumber wrapped up in some rice. not at shojin. they take vegan sushi to the next level with bbq seitan, avocado tempura, and spicy kale rolls. one of their best creations is the dragon roll—marinated shiitake mushrooms in the middle and thick slabs of seitan and avocado on the outside. i think it may just be the best vegan sushi ever.

another thing shojin does right is the appetizers. they have loads of mouthwatering selections, from tofu cheese tartar to crispy fried tempeh—it’s impossible to go to shojin and not order more than one starter. on our last visit we got three to share, starting with the seitan nuggets. the crispy seitan is one of my favorite things at shojin, and if you like wheat meat, it won’t disappoint. the little nuggets are fried and crunchy on the outside and incredibly warm and chewy on the inside. plus they come with a deliciously tangy sauce.

we also ordered the tomato and tofu carpaccio, a light starter of marinated tofu with red and yellow tomatoes. this cold and refreshing appetizer went down really well with us—the tofu was packed with flavor and the tomatoes were fresh, juicy and plump.

lastly we tried the fried tofu appetizer, which came covered in thick and spicy soy sauce. the tofu was crispy and fried around the edges, but completely light and fluffy inside. to our delight, the starter also came with some whole green chilies, and a blob of green onions for flavor.

the spicy fried tofu is so good at shojin, that they’ve also made it into an entree, which is excellent as well. the meal comes with the same deep fried tofu, mixed with mushrooms and vegetables in a spicy broth. the soup was excellent and thick, and the whole meal reminded me of a curry hot pot. the fried tofu tasted even better when drowned in the flavorful broth and mixed up with assorted vegetables. i would definitely order this again, very filling and very tasty.

if you hit up shojin during the day, be sure to take advantage of one of their many lunch specials. for just $9.95 you can get a bento box with the choice of two entrees, a vegetable dish and a salad. pictured below is the bento box with seitan balls and bbq seitan. the meal also comes with a bowl of soup and a side of rice, a phenomenal deal at under 10 bucks if you ask me. everything is fresh and in season, and made with the finest ingredients.

lunch bento box (also comes with rice and soup). $9.95

while the food at shojin can’t be beat, sometimes they have the music up a little too loud and the service is a little too attentive, making the dining experience a tad awkward. shojin is located in the little tokyo shopping center, but the owners have done a great job at giving it a fancy restaurant feel. the dimly lit interior and beautiful decorations make you almost forget that you are dining in the upper level of a mall. none of this stuff really matters though, the only truly important thing about shojin is that they make incredible food of the highest quality.

if you haven’t been to shojin yet, go ASAP. i’ve never met a vegan who doesn’t love this restaurant!

P.S. there is no booze at shojin. while this means nothing to my straightedge friends, my drunken brethren are advised to plan ahead.

The guys who work there are so nice and their attentiveness doesn’t embarrass once you get to know them.

The uncomfortable feeling is you not knowing how to behave around somebody who is genuinely nice, vs LA nice (i.e. them hoping for a big tip or simply hoping you’re a producer on the look out for talent)

Try the cayenne drinks if you want a buzz with your meal.

I want these guys to open another restaurant in West Hollywood. Heck, I’d put money into it.

My gf wasn’t super hungry, so I got the tempura soba noodles and we shared. Noodles were pretty damn good, although I was wishing I had ordered something with more veggies in it. The tempura veggies were crispy and flavorful, but the eggplant piece was a bit too greasy for my tastes.

Got the chocolate-strawberry crepe for desert. They were out of strawberries, though, and replaced with cantaloupe. Sounds gross, but it worked pretty damn well (and they told me before that they were out of berries…I knew what i was getting into.)

Crepe was really well textured for being vegan, and the chocolate mouse filling was really rich and creamy. Great combination of flavors and textures in this dessert.

The ice cream that came on the side was ok…but it kind of tasted like it had a wooden spoon in it…you know, like the “Carnation” brand ice creams I’m sure most of us have had at ballgames when we were younger. I tasted that ‘woody’ flavor for some reason.

Our server (Yoshi) was super friendly and nice, and that is a big plus in my book.

Also, it’s just a fun adventure to go into a mall that isn’t set up to cater to the average American.

Thanks for the review of this place…I had no idea it existed! And now I want more!!!

I had such a truly horrible experience at Shojin that I will never be willing to go there again. My friend and I were treated so rudely by one member of staff and when I made a formal complaint (in writing, of course), I was ignored. Everyone always says how nice and friendly the staff are but that is not our experience. The food looks so good but if you don’t get to enjoy it without stress… Shame.

We just read your comment.
We are very very sorry that you didn’t have a great experience with us.
Service is something we value the most so it is very sad for us to hear that we provided poor service to you.

For us to understand and teach our staffs better, we would like to know when you came in (date or day, lunch or dinner), and what you’ve had at our restaurant.
(the below is our e-mail address)shojin-info@theshojin.com

We would love to have another chance with you. So if you ever decide to come back and dine with us, please let us know.

EricM, I concur with everything in your write-up. The tempura/Wasabi shitake app is one of the best things about L.A. I haven’t had too much else there that I’d rave about, but I could eat those spicy savory chewy little babies every damn day.